Greg Tidwell

"Two roads diverged in a wood," wrote Robert Frost in his well-loved poem, "And I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

Often, in each of our lives, we see points of departure – decisions which, once taken, make a tremendous difference in the subsequent course of events. What is true of individuals is also true of churches. There are critical points of departure which make all the difference in the world.

Choosing a Road

In the late 1800s a Liberal spirit washed over American culture, and American religion drank deeply from this spring. The Social Gospel redirected the work of the church toward the demands of the community and away from the salvation of souls from an eternal hell.

The rise of higher education as a dominate force in American culture shaped American religion as well. The new sciences of Psychology and Sociology coupled with Darwin's theories of Evolution made the simple faith in Scripture seem hopelessly passé.

The vast majority of American churches embraced the spirit of the age, and none more enthusiastically than the Christian Church. Since the academic community disparaged the truth of Scripture, the Christian Church abandoned confidence in the text. Since the broader community demanded socially relevant worship, the Christian Church obliged introducing various innovations. The Christian Church was the essential community church – trendy, sharp, and in step with the world around them.

The churches of Christ, however, chose the road less traveled. While the world around us called for innovation, the churches of Christ held to Restoration. While the world around us sought a religion which was therapeutic, the churches of Christ offered a religion of repentance. While the world around us sought to reduce the Bible to comply with current academic theories, the churches of Christ rejected any claim to truth which does not comply with the text of Scripture.

For the better part of the twentieth century the churches of Christ stayed on this road with fidelity, and God blessed us in His path. Then, beginning about 1980, things began to change.

We've Been Here Before

Over the past two decades an increasing number of Christian colleges, congregations, and church leaders have left the old path to go down the well-traveled road the Christian Church denomination embraced years ago.

The Community Church Movement has pursued an unrelenting agenda replete with debauched doctrine and deviant practices. Making community relevance their standard, they compromised their allegiance to the authority of Scripture in every way imaginable.

Increasingly, the Community Church Movement has sought unity with other religions. Most prominently have been their overtures to Christian Churches. This desire for unity with the Christian Churches should not surprise us. The Community Church Movement among churches of Christ denies the authority of Scripture to regulate what happens in worship. Why shouldn't they want the company of those who chose this well-traveled road decades before?

As Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:13,14, ESV). The road we choose will make all the difference.

by Greg Tidwell

"Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining" (1 John 2:7,8, ESV).

God's commandment to love is not surprising to Christians. Love is the foundation of the gospel message. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). To know Jesus Christ is to know the clearest expression of the love of God. "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10). The commandment to love is not new, but is the essential message of the "old, old story."

The love presented in the gospel of Christ is more than a feeling, it is a reality embodied in a sacrifice of eternal significance. The power of the gospel is not merely that God loves us somewhat, but that God loves us profoundly. That God loves us so much that Jesus died for our sins. To anyone believing the gospel message, the commandment to love is not new, but foundational. It is a basic understanding required to even become a Christian.

In contrast with Christians, the unregenerated world finds the commandment to love to be a new concept. Apart from an understanding of the Christian message, the commandment to love is peculiar and surprising. The world would never have brought forth a message of sacrificial love with the gospel's depth and power. In this sense, the command to love is forever new.

Jesus teaches this new understanding, using His life and love as an example for us to follow: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34,35). Faith in Jesus Christ is inseparable from the experience of God's love. It is impossible for someone so enlightened to continue to walk in darkness. Knowing the love of Christ, we understand how we are to reach out to others in love.

A profession of faith in Christ is not the same as the reality of saving faith. It is possible to know about Christ without ever experiencing His salvation. The experience of salvation, however, changes a person's life and outlook completely. Receiving the love of Christ, we are given power to be God's people, ordered and guided by that love.

by Greg Tidwell

The death of President Reagan has been a time of reflection on many fronts. The world has changed tremendously in the quarter century since Reagan assumed office in 1980. The Communist ideology which covered half the world is now little more than a relic of history. The United States itself has greatly changed economically, politically, militarily and culturally. In all of this transition the influence of Ronald Reagan can be seen.

Our understanding of President Reagan as a person has also changed dramatically over the years. In 1980 the national perception of Reagan was that of a very likeable man with very limited capabilities. Ignoring his many achievements as Governor of California, union president, and political commentator, the popular impression was of Reagan the actor, the leading man in "Bedtime for Bonzo".

As the years have passed, a much more nuanced understanding of the President has overtaken the glib caricature. Even Ronald Reagan's harshest critics have come to concede the impressive accomplishments of his administration. On the personal side, the grace and dignity with which Reagan announced the diagnosis of his Alzheimer's disease displayed a depth of character and a sensitivity of feeling far beyond what many expected. Ronald Reagan has come to be appreciated not only as an effective politician, but as a good man.

No Excuses

Reflecting on President Reagan's life and accomplishments serves as an incentive for many of us who admire him to look into our own lives and to aspire to be better people. One aspect of Reagan's legacy was his determination to do things that needed to be done. He did not let the enormity of the tasks dissuade him from action. He engaged challenges and accomplished great things.

In discussing Reagan's accomplishments, a friend of mine reminded me that President Reagan was 69 years old before he assumed office. Even though Reagan joked about his age, his physical vigor and attractive presence had made me forget that he was not just an old President, he was the oldest to ever serve. My friend contrasted Reagan's commitment to action with members of the church who, because of age or other reasons, choose to retire from the Lord's service.

In 1980 Reagan was already a man of personal wealth and public accomplishment. Certainly no one could have blamed him for enjoying a comfortable retirement. But Ronald Reagan chose to serve because he understood the importance of the work that needed doing.

Doing What Really Matters

How important is our work for the Lord? A moment of reflection tells us that God's work is more important than any political, military, or economic accomplishment. Public policy attempts to enhance the human condition in this life, while God's work is building for eternity.

Too often, however, members of the church find excuses not to do the work set before us. We tell ourselves we would do the work if only we were younger (or older, or married, or single, or employed, or retired.) We need to remember the warning: "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin" (James 4:17 ESV).

by Greg Tidwell

Human nature wants to scale sin down, to make sin more palatable. We like to think that the sins we commit, or that are commonly committed by people we like, are not so very bad. But sin is not measured by our standards. God's judgment against sin is what matters. He is the one who is offended, and God is the one who must be appeased. God's hatred for sin is seen in the horrible price that had to be paid because of our sins. Jesus Christ died because of our sins. Sin is always an affront to God. Sin is never all right.

But Christians do sin. We all need a Savior. Not only someone to make us right, but someone with the continual power to keep us right with God. And we have the perfect Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Through the saving work of Christ our sins are forgiven. Through His death on the cross, Christ became our sin offering, the payment which makes us right with God. Salvation is only in Christ, and is complete in Christ.

Receiving this salvation, our lives should be directed, guided, and empowered by Jesus. If we understand who Jesus is and what Jesus came into the world to accomplish, we must be opposed to sin. Sin is in direct contradiction to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul uses baptism as an illustration of the transformation which is to come (Romans 6:1ff). The death, burial and resurrection of Christ are mirrored in baptism. The victory which Jesus perfectly obtained over sin should likewise be reflected in the "newness of life" lived out daily by Christians. Christ died to overcome the power of sin. Baptism into Christ signifies our unity with the Savior in this victory.

This new life in Christ, being born again of water and the Spirit, is a continual affirmation of the faith spoken in the good confession. The salvation we receive in Christ must be expressed in the loving obedience that God expects of all Christians. The gospel of Jesus Christ provides the substance of our confession, it gives saving power to our baptism, and it produces continual joy in the assurance of salvation. As God's children, we are enriched and empowered by the Lord's grace. The gospel initiates salvation, and keeps us in a right relationship with God. We must continually look to Jesus, our Savior and our Lord to keep our lives going in the right direction.

by Greg Tidwell

Seventy-seven years ago today Charles Lindbergh took off aboard "The Spirit of St. Louis" on his historic solo flight from Long Island to France. His adventure brought the twenty-five-year-old pilot unimaginable fame and fortune. He soon embarked on a promising career as an aviation consultant and was wed to the beautiful daughter of a prominent family. "Lucky Lindy" was the name given to Lindbergh by the enthusiastic press. Everything seemed to be going his way.

What a difference a few years would make! The fame which appeared to be a blessing was in many ways a curse. His celebrity status tragically made Lindbergh and his family the target of exploitation with the sad kidnapping and murder of his infant son in 1932. Lindbergh spent the remaining four decades of his life as a somber recluse.

Life is filled with uncertainties, as Solomon observed:

"Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them" (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12).

The ultimate perspective is eternity. From God’s viewpoint, all things are made clear. In faith, we must do our best to follow God’s will and trust in the Lord. Looking to God, we can properly deal with life’s uncertain course.